Did you know…
- The majority of girls have an interest in playing sports but there is not enough sports programming that is accessible to them.
- There are significantly more barriers in place that prevent girls from participating in sports.
- Less than one-third of recreational sports participants are girls, and around 40% of girls play sports in a school setting.*
The Giants Community Fund is committed to increasing female participation in baseball and softball, with a goal to make sports more accessible, inclusive, supportive and both physically and emotionally safe for girls everywhere.
Through the Game ChangeHER gender equity initiative, the Fund aims to have girls comprise 50% of participants in the Junior Giants program by the 2026 season. The initiative focuses on:
Empowering Junior Giants Leagues to launch girls softball divisions
Recruiting female role models to serve as volunteer coaches
Forming a strong community of supporters to rally behind the cause
Why is it crucial to get girls in the game?
- Girls who participate in sports are significantly more likely to graduate compared to non-athletes.
- Girls and women who are more physically active in adolescence and young adulthood are 20% less likely to get breast cancer in life.
- Girls who participate in regular exercise experience lower rates of depression and demonstrate higher self-esteem.
- Girls and women who play sports have a more positive body image and experience higher states of psychological well-being than girls and women who do not play sports.
Credit: Women’s Sports Foundation, “Benefits-Why Sports Participation for Girls and Women”
By the Numbers
